DC relents on Superman connection to Baldwin statue

Independent Free Press

By Jacques Gallant

Toronto Star

The Jeffrey Baldwin memorial statue will be getting its Superman shield after all.

DC Entertainment had initially rejected a request to have the shield placed on a memorial statue of the 5-year-old Toronto murder victim, but reversed its decision on Wednesday following media reports of its initial refusal.

“DC Entertainment uses a flexible set of criteria when we receive worthy requests such as this, and at times have reconsidered our initial stance,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“After verifying the support of appropriate family members, DC Entertainment will be allowing the Jeffrey Baldwin Memorial Statue to feature the Superman ‘S’ shield.”

Jeffrey died of starvation at the hands of his grandparents on Nov. 30, 2002. He spent his years locked inside a cold bedroom with little access to food or a toilet.

A coroner’s inquest into his death last year heard how he wanted to be just like Superman. He once dressed up as the character for Halloween, and attempted to fly by jumping off a chair.

The request for the “S” to be placed on the statue had been made by Todd Boyce. The Ottawa man was so moved by the testimony at the inquest that he started an online fundraising campaign to build a statue of Jeffrey and a bench that will likely be unveiled in Toronto’s Greenwood Park this fall.